Carrier of END
by CelestialSakuraa
Summary: Natsu's life revolving around a book, Lucy unknowingly risks her life to be the new owner of his life. Using her life as a leverage to help him, she learns that maybe she's too weak when everyone starts to see her as a failure since she was unable to change his fate. Unable to fight against judgement, she leaves with two friends to become stronger to prove them all wrong.
1. Chapter 0

**[Book does not entirely relate to Fairy Tail's manga or anime current arc in sequence. Please do not spoil anything for other readers.]**

 **YES! I'M FINALLY BACK ON FANFICTION! I'VE BEEN SO IMMERSED IN WATTPAD THAT I HARDLY GIVE SOME TIME FOR HERE!**

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 **Carrier of E.N.D**  
Chapter 0: The Beginning

The story begins when it's almost the end of the current world, the most struggling battle that Fairy Tail has engaged in. With the fall of their father, Makarov Dreyar, the guild finds them struggling to maintain their composure as they start to run around not knowing what to do.

Every powerful wizard are unable to take control of the situation as they struggle to fight to the end of of their own internal battle, and our main protagonist finds herself holding onto Natsu's life in the form of a very powerful book.

On her knees as she looked over her shoulder, she was unable to think properly with Gray and Happy looking at her in worry. Confusion swirling in their eyes as they looked at her biting her lower lip, they remain silent as the resonance of the distant battles roared like dragons in war. They all didn't know what to do, and their friend's life is all within her shaking hands.

"What are we going to do?" Happy cried as he looked at Lucy. His eyes looking at the blonde with some hope in his eyes, he hoped that the girl has something in her mind that could protect his fatherly partner.

Lucy nibbling on the bottom of her lip, she slowly opened the book. A massive wave of power and energy releases from the book, she gasped in surprise. The magic, it was so powerful but depressing.

Tears rolling down her cheeks, she embraced the saddening sensation flowing through her body. As if the book was crying, she painfully pushed her magic out of her exhausted body. The only thing that she could do now was to rewrite the laws within the book - The connection between Natsu's life and the book.

"I can do this..." she whispered to herself as the words ran through her head madly as she switched words around and adding new things. Gritting her teeth as she felt the searing pain of the words etch themselves onto her skin where it gets absorbed into her bruised body, she continued to control the words with every ounce of power that she had left in her body.

She could hear her friends trying to tell her to stop. "If you cannot do it, don't force yourself! It's too dangerous!" Gray's voice yelled with Happy crying in the background in concern of Lucy's wellbeing.

Shaking her head, she continued to change the words. Doing her best to ignore the pain that could knock her out, she pressed on while watching flashes of the demons' memories.

Watching the demons fall to their loss where they're forced back into the book after being finally free, she raised a shaky hand up and wiped away her tears.

"Lucy!"

Without her knowing, she placed the wrong word into book where it repelled her, throwing her into a building where she sank onto her knees and palms. Feeling weak as her body wasn't able to support her weight, she dropped onto her stomach and blacked out. Her head ringing, she felt as if her connections with her spirits were slowly getting cut off.

"Lucy!" Gray yelled out again as he took a few steps forward towards the blonde on the ground. Stopping when he felt immense power building up behind him, he turned to look over his shoulder where he saw E.N.D glowing brighter and brighter. Staring at the book that was hovering midair, he watched it fly away from sight where he turned his attention back to Lucy.

If the book flew off, doesn't that mean that she failed?

"Move it Gray!" A thunderous voice boomed where the raven-haired wizard looked over his shoulder to see a girl with crimson hair sprinting towards him with two knights running after her. The girl gritting her teeth, she jumped into the air, landing on one of the knight's open palm where he threw her into the air. The other knight jumping high into the sky, he grabbed onto the crimson's outstretched hand.

"I didn't go on a quest to only get called back for this! The old man must be crazy - Fall then back up again," The crimson growled where her body began to shine bright. "Acnologia!" she then yelled as her body morphed into a dragon.

Gray and Happy watching everything happen in front of them, they questioned how a person was able to shift into a dragon before noting that the two knights left behind were replaced by two large wolves. "Crimson hair..." he whispered where the dragon with crimson scales gave out a loud and threatening growl.

"You've forgotten that I still exist!" the dragon roared before soaring towards the black and blue dragon in the distance.

The two boys not knowing what to do, the wolves opened their jaws to speak. "We're here to regroup you with the guild," the silver-white wolf said. "The fight still continues but from what we think, he'll be trying to eliminate every Dragon Slayer out there so before anything happens, we need to regroup and find a way to stop them," the jet black wolf then said.

"We will carry you back. Hurry," the silver wolf then hassled, lowering his back where Gray picked up Lucy and sat on him. Happy snuggling into the most safest spot in between them, the wolves bolted into the distance where they last saw the guild gathered.

Everyone watching the crimson dragon battle out with Acnologia, they quickly hurried where all Dragon Slayers vanished out of no where. Exceeds crying as partners were yelling frantically as they tried to find their close friends, Gray arrived to find everyone exhausted and stressed out of their wits.

"Wolves... Ahhh, Drancer and Knight," Makarov gasped as he weakly looked at the wolves dropping off his three children. The wolves bowing their heads, their ears twitched as they snapped their heads up to see the crimson dragon struggling to hold Acnologia off from their current location. "Is that Sakura?" he questioned.

Drancer and Knight nodding their heads, they were about to bolt over to where their favorite crimson was battling until she was bitten on the shoulder where gave out a hurtful growl. Being thrown towards the gathered group of people, she shifted back into her human form where she slammed into the ground with a sheer amount of blood coming out of her mouth. Weakly pushing herself up, she held onto her shoulder and slowly got onto her feet where she fell onto one knee with her teeth gritted in pain.

"I can't sense the elements," the crimson gagged where she coughed out more blood. Her eyes wide as she saw how Acnologia was starting to destroy the city, she flinched when she saw his tremendous power. "Igneel..." she whispered, not knowing what to do where she looked over her shoulder to see everyone looking at her in bewilderment.

Her eyes to the old man, she saw how wounded he was and narrowed her eyes. "You all..." she noted before slowly turning her head to watch Acnologia continue his destruction.

If it continued then, everyone would die.

"We should do Fairy Sphere! Like... What the First did to protect us all. That way, maybe we can stop him," a voice whispered where every head present turned to face the blonde being supported by Gray. "But we'll need to go and find it in the guild library!"

Everyone looking at Lucy in disbelief, they all looked at each other in horror. To trap the dragon and hopefully stop him.

"But how can we do that?! Only the First knows how to perform the spell! He's already here and searching it will be too time consuming!" Cana asked, her finger pointing to Acnologia who continued to bellow in madness.

The girl with crimson hair gritting her teeth, she raised her hand weakly. "I know the spell, but it's too powerful -" She was interrupted by Lucy. "If you know the spell, then if everyone can lend their magic then maybe it'll be enough to stop him," Lucy encouraged where the girl clicked her tongue.

A crazy plan, but this was Fairy Tail. The power of bonds will overcome everything when everyone is in sync.

Sighing in defeat, the crimson closed her eyes. "Alright. As long as he's within my sight, I'll be able to do it," she whispered where everyone tensed up as they felt a surge of energy released from her.

Lucy nodding, she began to yell out instructions. "Everyone! Please form a circle and hold hands! No matter what happens, don't let go and think about the people you want to protect!" she cried out, ignoring how her previous attempt of helping out everyone failed as she found herself waking up in Gray's arms with Juvia looking over her in complete worry. "Hurry! We cannot let him get any closer to us!"

The crimson watching everything, she nodded her head to Makarov as he brushed by her. Shaking her head as she ran her fingers through the fur of her wolves, they stood in the middle of the two circles and jumped high into the sky where she shifted into her dragon form once again. With one hefty bellow to push Acnologia away to create some distance from everyone, she shifted back into her human form where she closed her eyes and began to chant.

This was the spell that she never wanted to use even though she knew and learnt the words. Her heart was in Fairy Tail, but she was hardly there to share and experience the bonds of friendship that her fellow members have been through - The spell could backfire, but as long as she still carries the pride of a Fairy, then perhaps it may work.

"Give us the power to protect everybody - Fairy Sphere! Activate!" the crimson yelled where she felt the force of the magic consuming her.

Everyone thinking about their loved ones and their families, they called the power from within them, hoping that they'll have enough power and hope to protect everyone that they held so dear in their hearts. To end their lives now without living to the fullest - They didn't want that!

The smiles. The tears. All of the hardships that they've been through together. It was far too soon to end their journeys right now without experiencing the rest of what has to come next.

Lucy hoping that her plan would work out, she prayed that everyone would be able to connect and feel their emotions reach each other as their wishes become in sync. While they were all fighting against the damn beast, she knew that Natsu was still fighting along with the Dragon Slayers wherever they were.

And as a sphere of magic engulfed the black and blue dragon, their hopes were shattered as Acnologia began to pound against the sphere.

"It's going to break!" Pantherlily yelled out.

Lucy opening her eyes were she began to panic, she didn't know what to do as she sank onto her knees in defeat. "Was our magic... Not enough?" she questioned where she felt a hand tap her shoulder where she watched strands of crimson hair flutter against the wind.

"The old damn thing just needs to understand that we're not going to lose," the crimson said with a wink before Meredy appeared with a smirk. "If that's the case, then why won't we just simply unite everyone from across the continent?" she chuckled before winking back.

"I've connected everyone. Let's do this once more shall we?!" Meredy said out loud, pointing out to the crimson who jumped into the air and shifted into her dragon form once again where she gave out a powerful roar that was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

The roar sent a message that vibrated through everyone's soul. "Protect and survive!" Another barrier forming around Acnologia that was red, the dragon in crimson growled. "I won't let you escape!"

"Fairy Sphere!" Lucy yelled as she felt the overwhelming gathering pressure of magic surround them. Another large sphere forming around Acnologia, the dragon began to painfully wail out loud before his disintegrated into the air.

The crimson dragon giving out a victorious bellow, she transformed back into her human form and fell from the sky where her wolves caught her in ease. "Geez. I wasn't expecting myself to hold him back where another person had to lead the battle," she chuckled where she snuggled into her wolves.

Everyone celebrating as they determined that the Dragon Slayers had won the battle somewhere which was the reason why Acnologia vanished, they began to cheer out loud as tears of relief and happiness were shed. The unknown girl looking up to the sky as she felt something shifting in the air, the sky shattered where she watched the missing Dragon Slayers fall down.

"So this is the power of Fairy Tail... I just thought that they're a bunch of reckless people that shared the same goals and dreams of living as a family," the girl whispered where she watched everyone unite with the Dragon Slayers. Getting up from her spot weakly, she swayed and fell, colliding into a warm chest where she sighed.

Snuggling up into the chest where arms wrapped themselves around her, she closed her eyes in comfort before opening them to watch the blonde girl that happened to achieve Fairy Sphere hug Igneel's son with tears in her eyes.

"That girl..." she whispered.


	2. Chapter 1

**Carrier of E.N.D  
** Chapter 1: Shift in Air

With the support of each other, everyone managed to rebuild their guilds in no time. As time passed, everyone managed to move on from the final battle which brought them a sense of achievement each time they thought back to their most struggling experience of their lifetime.

Fairy Tail celebrating the restoration of the guild and their success in winning, they continued to party the night away like every other guild across the continent. "I can't believe that we finally put a stop to Acnologia and Zeref!" Natsu cheered as he drank.

Everyone celebrating where Lucy sat in the corner of the bar by herself, she sighed to herself as she recalled the moment everyone welcomed the unknown member to the guild. Apparently the unknown member's name was Sakura Miyasaki. She's a Dragon Slayer that was gifted with the special ability to shift into a dragon since her mother taught her the survival skills of the dragons in the past.

With everyone welcoming her easily since she was the one that knew the spell to Fairy Sphere, they were glad to have her on their side during the time. It was dangerous to risk everyone's lives while a handful of people were expected to search for the spell in such a large guild library - It was thanks to her that they were able to avoid such a drastic thing.

"You alright there?" a voice questioned where the blonde looked over her shoulder.

Lucy meeting eyes with Gray's, she sighed and nodded her head. "I'm just... Thinking about a few things," she replied where he joined her by sitting right next to her. "If it wasn't for Sakura, then we all could've died," she whispered.

He shook off Lucy's depressing vibes and took a large sip of his beer. "Well, we should be glad that we all didn't die then, but just to let you know, the book vanished when you collapsed," he informed where she snapped her head to him with wide eyes.

"Vanished?!" she questioned out loud. The boy nodded. "Vanished. I guess the attempt failed, allowing it to fly and hide away," he explained where Lucy felt a hole form in her heart.

The blonde felt so guilty. If she succeeded, then maybe their battle would've been easier. "That means that the battle isn't over until the book - But does that mean that Natsu's..." She couldn't finish her question as she looked over to the pinkette yelling in the background.

If the book vanished, and Zeref disappeared with the First without Natsu disappearing as well... Doesn't that mean that his life was completely disconnected from the book?

She closed her eyes. "We need to tell everyone that the book is still out there -" Before Gray could even finish what he was going to say, someone yelled out what he was saying. "What do you mean the book is still out there?!" That's when the party halted and looked over to their direction with wide eyes. Alcohol no longer taking control of their minds as they turned sober, they couldn't believe what they had just heard.

"Guys... What do you mean that the book is still out there? I thought E.N.D was put to an end?" Mira whispered as she stared at Lucy and Gray in horror. Her eyes seeking for answers, she widened her eyes when she watched the two look away. "You guys can't be serious..."

"You guys were playing around with someone's life," Lisanna whispered as tears welled up in her eyes. Just right after the stories were told! She thought that maybe, just maybe, they managed to do something with the book, hence the reason why Natsu was still living and breathing.

The guild all murmuring down below, six pairs of eyes watched everything happen from above. The six individuals watching everything unfold silently, the old man looked at the crimson with a questioning brow raised. "You didn't tell me," he whispered.

Sakura sighed and glanced back to him. "It's strange though, I didn't sense anything when I saw them. It was only until the end I sensed something inside of her, but I thought it was just because of the residue magic from Fairy Sphere," she replied.

Six of them continuing to watch, they realized how tense the atmosphere was getting.

"I was almost there! I almost finished rewriting the book when -" Lucy stopped what she was saying and bit onto her tongue, forcing herself to stop. Sighing, she looked down onto the table, "I blacked out when I was almost done."

The muttering grew louder. "Does that mean that Natsu could potentially be under more danger?" a member whispered where all heads turned to Natsu who was pale. Does that mean that he could die, and this time at a higher rate since the rewriting was not complete? "I'm sure that his life is disconnected from the book! He's here with no Zeref!" Lucy reasoned where everyone looked at her again.

"But the book is still out there. There are demons in that book, ones that we've never seen - If that is held by the wrong hands... His life may be on the line," Erza whispered, stating the possible fact that history may repeat once again. "We could've found another way, but now we don't know the possibilities of what may happen with the book not being in our hands and somewhere that could be found by almost anyone."

Everyone paled. To relive that experience again would be a nightmare.

"I'm sorry everyone... Really! If I could have remained conscience, I would've finished rewriting everything!" Lucy cried out where everyone began to look away from her. In a voice almost inaudible by all, Lucy widened her eyes in horror. "If only you were stronger, then maybe you would've handled it properly."

And that's when her world began to shatter.

One by one, heads turned to look at her again with eyes of grief. If only she was stronger, then perhaps she would've been able to destroy the book after disconnecting Natsu's life with the book once and for all. It was because she was weak that she wasn't able to do it.

"Not to mention, if it wasn't for Sakura they would've been dead by Acnologia while she went to look for Fairy Sphere in a large library. Lucy was just lucky to have remembered what Sakura was saying to recast Fairy Sphere," a voice whispered in everyone's mind where a mist wafted through the cracks of the door and shrouded itself over the first floor.

Sakura flinched and looked around. "What's wrong?" the silver-white wolf questioned. She narrowed her eyes and tried to find the source of the horrid scent, unable to figure out what it was, she nibbled on the bottom of her lip. "Something smells wrong," she whispered as she looked over the floor and watched the small Sky Dragon Slayer act normal.

She furrowed her brows. If the Sky Dragon Slayer wasn't reacting to the scent, then doesn't that mean that her senses were wrong? "No... It's nothing," she replied. Standing behind her, Laxus crossed his arms. "When you say nothing, nothing good comes out of it - You know something and you just don't want to tell us..."

The guild below them began to grow rowdy. Just as the scent that Sakura smelt vanished, the people watching above thought that the issue was getting out of control and quickly acted. Ending the party early since if they allowed the issue to grow out of proportion, Lucy felt like crying as she walked herself home alone. For the first time in her life, she felt weak and useless.


	3. Chapter 2

**Carrier of E.N.D**  
Chapter 2: Looking for Master

Under the moonlight, she gazed out of the moonlight of her little makeshift home that her spirits helped her build. It was a bit small, but she had all of the necessities that she needed to make her feel almost at home for the short term. Huddling herself within her sleeping bag with three thick blankets layered on top of her, she thought about what had just happened.

Usually Fairy Tail wasn't that uptight when it came to an arising issue. They were usually very accepting and when one person messes something up seriously, they would work together to fix the problem as a family.

What she experienced was something extremely unusual. Was the problem so bad that Natsu's really going to die with no hope of changing it?

She nibbled on her bottom lip before letting her bottom lip go from her teeth. Sighing as she tried to sleep, she groaned when images of her family's shocked faces all flashed in her mind like a reminder that she honestly messed up someone's life.

"I don't know what to do anymore... They really didn't know what to say to me after - Erza was even too shocked to think of any possible solutions, along with Mira..." she muttered to herself before closing her eyes as the wind rustled against the wooden hut that she was temporarily residing in. Unable to fall asleep, she sat up and furrowed her brows as the hole within her hut refused to let her sleep and forget about her guilt for just a little bit.

Slipping out from her sleeping bag where she stretched, she once again looked out of the window that Virgo insisted on installing. The moon was beautiful but almost covered by the dark clouds that she desperately wanted to use as her sleep time indicator.

"Gray said that the book went away when I closed my eyes, and after that, Sakura came to our rescue... Maybe Sakura might know which direction it may have flown off too," she thought before looking down to her palms that seemed heavy, as if it was still holding onto the pen. Her joints unwilling to allow her clench her fingers to her palm, she gritted her teeth as the weight of her guilt dropped onto her shoulders.

As if the weight was real and weighing her down, she dropped onto her knees and stared blankly up to the stars high above. She knew that her spirits were all watching over her, waiting for her to find her resolve. Perhaps Aquarius was even laughing at her situation currently, telling her that if the guild was doubting her then she might as well summon a sandstorm to wipe them all away and leave her alone with her beloved.

"What do I do... Maybe I should think about this a bit more -" She stopped herself as the wind brushed against her house again. "I should perhaps go and ask Master what he thinks before doing something..." she said before grabbing a thick jacket where she then slipped on her boots.

Leaving her little hut that's roughly twenty minutes away from the guild and hidden somewhere safe and away from prying eyes, she jogged towards the direction of her second home.

Her nose slightly pink with her cheeks flushed, she jogged through the rugged city. Jumping over large rocks and running around boulders that were taller than herself, she made a sharp turn to her right where she bumped into someone in which she stumbled back a bit. "Oh my goodness. I'm so sor-" she stopped her apology midway when a familiar raven-haired man turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"Gray?"

She watched him turn his body to her. "What are you doing here at this time of night?" Gray asked as he examined her attire and concluded that maybe she went for a jog to tire herself out to sleep.

The silence of the night being broken by their hushed tones, Lucy snuggled into her jacket and raised her perfectly-plucked eyebrow to him. "I couldn't sleep because of what had happened over at the guild tonight, so I thought I'd speak to Master and ask him for advice..." she replied where he nodded in reply before pointing to himself. "Well, I do was going to ask the old man the same thing," he stated.

Sighing in relief, she smiled to her close friend. "Shall we go together then? I think he's still there," she offered where he nodded his head and waited for her to get beside him before walking together towards the guild which was roughly five minutes away from where they stood.

"I honestly don't get why the guild reacted like that. I thought that they would've begin to plan our next move together, but that thought flew out of my head when I saw them look at us in terror as if we had stepped on a baby mercilessly," he began, running his fingers through his hair before groaning. "What a total surprise."

She looked at him in question. "Is this the first time that they've reacted like this... Like before I even joined the guild?" she asked, hoping that their reaction wasn't for the first time and that they actually began to work together to solve the issue on the next day.

Her heart sunk when he shook his head as a reply to her question. His arm dropping where he shoved both hands into his back pockets, he then shrugged his shoulders. "Helping each other is a norm here. Them reacting like that... Maybe it's the alcohol influence... They'll start to think of a plan tomorrow," he reassured before silence fell over them again like a blanket.

The clouds covering the moonlight, they found themselves standing in front of a very daunting-looking guild. Knowing that their guild doors will always be opened for them to enter at any time, Gray pushed one of the large wooden doors open to see candles illuminating the entire building where its flames flickered to the intruding wind.

"Master?" Lucy called out in an uncertain tone. The two entering the guild, the door closed along with a passing wind where they stood there still and unknowing what to do. For some reason, the guild being empty with candles being the only light source to fill it up, it seemed like it was the perfect setting for a crime, perhaps murder, to occur.

Both standing there and looking around for a proper light source, they found none other than the candles. Taking a few steps forward, they snapped their heads up to the staircase when they heard some light footsteps approaching them. "Who's here at this time?" a voice questioned where both sighed in relief as a lacrima crystal began to shine brightly, revealing the new guild member staring down to them.

"Gray and Lucy? What brings you here at this time of the night? Witching Hour is about to happen and you're both walking around," the crimson questioned as she walked down the stairs and over to them. "Did you forget something when you left? If you've forgotten my name, my name is Sakura Miyasaki and I'm an old member here," she then introduced before pushing the floating lacrima crystal up to the air where it began to shine even brighter to give them more light from above.

Her head tipped to the side, she examined their rigid bodies. From the looks of it, they were definitely not here to retrieve something that they've forgotten.

"Uhm... Why are you here right now? Shouldn't you return and get some rest?" Lucy asked, hoping that the Master went off somewhere.

The crimson smiled and pointed off somewhere. "I reside within the guild library with my wolves. I don't often stay within one location for that long, so Grandfather allowed me to stay within the library whenever I come back," she replied where Gray pointed to her then making a height reference to show her what he was trying to say.

Sakura chuckled. "I call him that whenever I feel like it. He's pretty much a close family member, Laxus included as well," she answered, understanding that Gray was questioning her relationship with Makarov. "Enough about me, what do you need?"

"We're hoping to know if the Old Man was still around, to ask him some questions," Gray answered, not completely understanding why he was using such formal language to someone that appeared younger than them. His eyes watching the girl furrow her brows, he watched her turn her attention to Lucy in question.

"Both of you?" Sakura asked, trying to confirm or at least think of a valid guess of why they're here at such a late time. Tipping her head to the other side when Lucy nodded her head, she looked over her shoulder. "He sort of knocked out after drinking and celebrating my return... Laxus threw him into the bedroom that he has for when he drinks and knocked out within the guild," she explained before watching their expecting eyes change to sad ones.

She rolled her tongue around within her mouth silently as she watched the two share a look to each other. "Would you like to talk to Laxus, or I, even? We pretty much know the guild inside and out, and we often do majority of the paperwork that Makarov does?" she offered where Lucy shook her head.

It wasn't the right time to speak to her right now, but before Lucy would vocally reply, Gray beat her to it saying the opposite of what she was about to say. "We'd like to know what exactly happened tonight," he said.

Lucy turning her head to Gray, she slapped him across his arm and narrowed her eyes. It was like having an older sibling confess to their mother than they did something wrong and wanted to ask if what they had done was going to get them grounded.

With that sudden reply from the raven, the crimson smiled. "Of course, I knew that was your true intention... Who wouldn't want some questions after the guild completely isolated you after the little confrontation," she said, before smirking as she turned her gaze to Lucy. "When you don't look back to your own footsteps and cover them carefully, people will use them and manipulate them - Like a hunter forgetting to cover his own tracks, and hence the hunted comes after the hunter."


	4. Chapter 3

**Carrier of E.N.D  
** Chapter 3: The Trump Card

Speechless, Lucy looked at Gray. Maybe they should go since Master Makarov wasn't available. Her hands reaching out to Gray, the light from the lacrima grew dim where she snapped her head up to look at it before panning down to only see the crimson by the door that leads to the guild's library.

Surprised to see that the girl was far away from them within mere seconds, she looked at Gray once more before hearing the creaking door of the library groan to its wake where the candle flames flickered. "Laxus, Grandfather and I... We hold secrets and knowledge that even Gildarts, Mirajane and Erza don't even know..." Sakura began where her voice carried a lace of threat and mischief along with it.

Lucy turning her full attention to the crimsons, she widened her eyes when she saw how glowing red Sakura's eyes were. Tensing up, she watched the crimson smirk to their direction.

"I've always wanted to relive the start of my renewed self. The eyes of distrust and anxiety within those that questioned my reliability..." Sakura chuckled before shaking her head. "Come, I will answer those questions..." she then said before entering the dark library where Gray took a step forward to only get grabbed by Lucy once again.

The raven looking to her, she looked at him. Uncertain if they should trust her, she raised a brow when she watched him look back over to where Sakura once stood. "I thought I didn't know her, but I was wrong..." Gray whispered.

His head looking back to Lucy, he had a memory come back - A memory that he didn't think about much before since the main subject of his memory hardly associated itself within the guild. His eyes glazed for a bit, he shook his head.

He knew that Lucy didn't know about it, so to fill her in, he told her one thing that could resolve her suspicions on the crimson that she hardly knew of. "She is like a library labyrinth... She is the guild's trump card when we reach a certain point of danger and death," he stated.

Confused, Lucy simply just stared at Gray. She didn't know such a thing or person existed, but if Gray states that she's a valuable existence to the guild, then trusting her would be the best option.

So following her close friend from behind, she noticed how tensed he was as they entered the dimly lit library. Walking around the towering bookshelves to find themselves reach the heart of the library, she widened her eyes when she saw Sakura resting against two large wolves that were sleeping peacefully to the girl's paced breathing. "When was there such a large open space in the middle of the library?" she whispered.

Gray simply just stared at Sakura before down to the two wolves that he now recalled their names. "Drancer and Knight," he whispered where both wolves slowly opened their eyes and stared at him. Their heads rising, they bowed their heads to him before lowering them down to their paws where they then closed their eyes to rest once more.

"Come Lucy," he then said in a hushed tone, grabbing her hand where he gently pulled her down to the floor. Sitting in front of the crimson who had a large, open book on her lap, Gray felt a wave of familiarity wash over him where he softly smiled to Sakura. "So you still read, even though the books here have all been read by you?" he asked where she closed the book and placed it to the side.

Lucy watching their interaction, she noted how quiet Sakura was compared to when they were outside. She flinched when Sakura turned her eyes to look at her.

"Your questions?" Sakura began, raising a brow where one of the wolf's ear twitched to her voice.

The air around them dense and heavy, Lucy found her chest constricting to the shift of atmosphere. The time, as if slowing down, waited for her reply, she blinked a few times before staring into the wine-coloured eyes of the girl seated in front of her.

"What exactly happened when I blacked out?"

Gray froze in his spot when he recalled the book flying away with Sakura running towards them, yelling to them and transforming midair to have a battle against the dragon that was going to kill them within one breath of a roar. His eyes down to the wolves that were resting, his finger twitched where one wolf snapped opened an eye to stare at him in question before closing its eyes once again. "A lot of things really," he replied where Sakura gave him a certain look before back to the blonde.

Lucy unsure what to think of what Gray's words truly need, she waited for a proper reply from the crimson in front of her whose eyes were closed and brows furrowed.

"Long story short, Grandfather called me when the planning initially started. I was pretty far away and there's a certain speed that I can travel - Dragon form would be too risky. When I got there, a lot of things happened in which you guys should have known by now... Anyways, when I got to you, Acnologia was too close to my liking to you both and Gray couldn't leave you while you're like that with Happy. While you were blacked out, my wolves took you three to safety and I shifted into my dragon form to push and hold the darn thing back to ensure your safety."

She nodded her head and motioned the crimson to continue.

"When I arrived to your side, I did see E.N.D and what had happened. I was amazed to see someone capable to rewriting the fates within that book, but you were short - Not almost there to have the power to completely control it... The book with a rewritten values, within the midst of confusion, flew and escape - Perhaps to find Zeref, who is no longer here..." Sakura explained before opening her eyes where she had pain evident within them. Her head down, she sighed, "The both of them... I hope that they'll reborn... The pain that they've been through together."

The blonde watching the crimson shake her head, she watched as the girl raised her head again. "When you travel... You just see so many sides of a person that you just don't know what to think next," Sakura reasoned.

Gray crossing his arms, he leaned back a little. "So do you know which direction the book flew off to? The guild was restless..." he asked, eyeing the crimson.

"It flew to the east. Perhaps to some dead area where silence is the only language that you would be hearing," Sakura replied without an issue where she then narrowed her eyes to them both. "Whatever you all plan on doing, I do not recommend you following such a dangerous book. That will be my job, and not yours," she then stated.

Getting up from her spot, she flicked her wrist upwards where the book that sat nearby her levitated. "I will always answer your curiosity, but never your foolish justice." With that, she pointed to a certain direction where the book returned to its proper place.

Lucy getting up as well, she placed a hand over her chest. "At least... If we're able to recover it, Natsu will be saved!" she cried out. Her impatience making itself known as the girl just simply looked away, she gritted her teeth. "E.N.D is somewhere out there, and if we're too late to find it, who knows what will happen to him! I don't even remember what I did, I was too focused on rearranging the words that I don't even know what the completed pages for Natsu's even looked like!" she yelled.

And that's when she flinched. Slowly turning to look at her, Sakura stood there within the dimly lit library with glowing eyes where her wolves raised their heads. The three of them looking at her with a blank expression, she felt the temperature drop in which she shivered.

"I completely understand that Lucy. I knew what you were thinking during your little confrontation when you had a remorseful look on your face. I know what goes on within the guild because I am the trump card that everyone desires to have within their grubby hands - The treasured tool that one wants for their desires," Sakura bluntly informed.

"I will tell you this however... You both going after it with nothing other than retrieving it within your minds will bring you closer to death," she whispered before closing your eyes. "I have seen what death looks like, and I can tell you... It is exactly what you think."

With that, she slowly revealed her wine-coloured eyes. They were back to normal once more. "As a long-term member and the trump card, I suggest you both to wait and see," she said before excusing herself and walking away with her wolves.

The blonde sinking to the floor, she stared at the spot that the girl once stood. "I worry about what the guild may do when we wake up..." she whispered as Gray pulled her up again by the arm. Her hand to her head, she felt a headache coming in so she closed her eyes and sighed. "The guild... They looked so scary when they confronted us both..."

Gray sighing, he lead her to the library door and looked over his shoulders to only see Sakura standing in the distance watching them with a sad smile. Raising his brow to her where she just shook her head, he gave her a questioning look with his brows scrunched before facing the front and walking away.


	5. Chapter 4

**Carrier of E.N.D**  
Chapter 4: Riot

The early sun rising where the sun's rays shined over Lucy's closed eyes, she groaned as she struggled to open her eyes and say good morning to the world. Shuffling around where she shivered to the biting cold, she slowly forced her eyes opened to only squint when the sun blinded her for a while. "Urgh," she muttered as she sat up to stretch her arms and back.

"Lucy," a voice whispered where she slowly turned her head to look over to her closest Celestial Spirit standing beside her with a frown on his face. Tipping her head to the side, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. "What is it Loke? Is something the matter?" she asked, dropping her arm to look at him this time with full attention.

Noting how he was struggling to maintain his composure, she furrowed her brows. "Loke?" she asked once more before watching him go down to his knees in front of her where he placed a hand on her shoulder with a unsure smile on his face. "Is something the matter?"

The lion tightened his hold on her shoulder. "I don't think you should go to the guild..." he stated where she tipped her head to the other side in confusion. Her mind running around in circles as she stared at him, she opened her mouth where suddenly her door opened to reveal a panting Gray standing in front of them with wide eyes.

"The guild is beyond reasoning. They're enraged about how we were unable to rewrite the book completely and they're just talking shit about us!" Gray informed where Loke growled in which made Lucy to rise from her sleeping bag. Her eyes wide, she stared at Gray in horror before snapping her head to her spirit. "Is this what you mean about not going to the guild?" she questioned.

Her heart tightened when both men looked away from her. Her hands to her hair, she shook her head. "How are they enraged? We did our best and they're not being supportive like always?!" she cried out before snapping her head to Gray in horror. "They're not like this! Why is it like this?"

Gray running his fingers through his hair in frustration, he leaned against the door frame without a proper answer to his close friend's question. "I'm not too sure about it myself but even Erza had no words when I approached her. Levy was screaming how she could've done better and Natsu was just... He was just helpless and pitiful. He couldn't even look at me," he informed.

"I spoke to Makarov, and he told us to go and meet him in his office," Gray said where Loke gave a smile to Lucy which wasn't reaching his eyes.

She could feel all of her spirits growing restless, and she too knew and understood their feelings - This trouble was sudden. Too sudden, one may add.

"Alright... Allow me to get ready and I'll go with you to meet Master," she replied. Loke taking a step forward, he placed a hand over his chest, "I'll come too. Just in case anything happens."

With a nod, both men went outside where Lucy quickly got changed and brushed her teeth. Her mind in a daze as she then brushed her hair, she shook her head and thought of the positives and forced herself to look at the mirror and give herself a shaky smile. "Maybe they're just angry since they're having to deal with a hangover," she told herself before walking out of her little home to have both boys turning to look at her.

"Alright, let's go while there's little people at the guild," Gray muttered, grabbing her hand where they all began to jog to the guild building. Their hearts racing as their heads tried to reason out the possibilities of what may have made them angry, they soon found themselves standing in front of the guild doors with heavy pants following their every breath.

Lucy, Gray and Loke all looking at each other before giving a nod in sync, they braced themselves for the worse as they opened the large doors together to find all eyes on them with the emotions of anger and hatred attacking their inner souls. With every glance in different directions, all emotions were the same, and it destroyed them from within.

"Look who decided to show up," a voice whispered from the corner where another voice followed it from behind. "The one who failed to save a life, causing greater damage rather than helping."

Gray adding pressure to his hold on Lucy's hand, he glanced over to the blonde to see her face pale in despair. His eyes scanning around the guild as they stood there in front of the doors, his eyes spotted a pair of glowing crimson eyes within the shadows of the corners of the second storey and eyed them before watching a figure emerge out from it to stand above them.

He knew that Sakura was an observer, and he knew that Sakura knew more than the answers provided last night.

"Come on," Gray whispered, gently pulling Lucy along with him where he looked over his shoulder to see the speechless Lucy lower her head in shame. He guessed that the guilt of not being able to save her crush was finally hitting her hard - Like a large rock thrown into thin glass.

Leading the blonde upstairs, he glanced over to Sakura who still had her eyes glued to the scene below her. Not knowing what the girl was thinking, he looked away and shook his head before guiding Lucy towards the Master's office. "Don't let their words get to you completely. They just need to understand that you were sacrificing everything to help Natsu," he whispered once more, trying to lighten the mood where the blonde forced herself to smile once again.

"You're right. Maybe the rest aren't going to be like this... I mean, Fairy Tail overall won't shun us..." she replied before raising her head up to him. "Right?"

He swallowed down his guilt of bringing up her sacrifice to help the pinkette downstairs. Forcing himself to smile back to her, he nodded his head. "That's right. They just need time," he muttered, unable to tell her that the majority of the guild felt the same negative emotions that she had just witnessed.

The crimson watching everything unfold from the shadows, she gritted her teeth as she watched the three enter Grandfather's office. Shaking her head where she held herself back from entering the same room, she balled her fists as she turned away and walked, only to hit her head into Laxus's chest. "Laxus..." she began where the taller blond looked down to her and simply shook his head.

What they were witnessing was none of their business. It was between the guild, Lucy and Gray, and not theirs.

Within the naturally-lit room, Gray, Loke and Lucy stood stiffly within Makarov's room. Their eyes unable to look at the old man seated in front of them directly, they froze when they heard a loud sigh come out from the little man. "Lucy and Gray..."

With a soft voice, Lucy lowered her head. "We both don't know what happened... We -" she was interrupted by Makarov who gave out a firm gruff which was enough to silence her completely.

"You don't need to explain yourself and reason about what you've done. I know you both well to know that you did everything you could to help Natsu's condition, and that it requires a lot of magic and strength to rewrite everything - You both have been fighting against the soldiers as well, so of course you both would be exhausted," Makarov began where all heads looked up to him.

"I don't know what's going on with their heads but what they've been saying to you both last night and today was unreasonable. I've told them all to shut their mouths up and think about what they're saying, and I cannot believe that even my own interruption wasn't effective," he said.

Lucy playing with her hands, she sighed. "I was almost there but rewriting that last chapter... I just don't know..." she muttered in complaint before shaking her head where anger settled into her system. "No one knew what to do about E.N.D and I took the risk of sacrificing my life to rewrite what was within it! Is there going to be no one there to say "You've done your best. We'll fix this together"? What utter bullshit is this?" she cried out before placing a hand over her heart. "Never once has Fairy Tail shunned a member for failure! Why now after everything we've been through?!"

Makarov shook his head. "You're definitely right about that child. Fairy Tail, our family, isn't the one to point out mistakes and stir up madness within the guild. We strive to fix everything together because we are nakama and family," he replied, easing some of Lucy's frustrations where he looked at Gray who was fighting against his tongue not to spout out his own frustrations to him.

"Gray... You don't have to hold it in while within the office. No one will be able to hear you from outside - No prying dragon ears will be able to hear you," he urged where Gray balled his fists.

"Lucy didn't do anything wrong. I could've helped her but I just stood on the sidelines," Gray began where Lucy looked at him in disbelief and shook her head. "You were looking out for me," she muttered.

And that's when everything grew quiet until madness struck within the guild, making the crimson slam the door open with raging red eyes. "If you don't shut this guild up, I will go down there and silence them myself. I come back to see this, Makarov?" Sakura growled, narrowing her eyes as she glared at the old man behind the table. "You know of my condition, and if this nonsense doesn't settle, then this place will be covered with the same color as my hair."

With that threat, the loudness from below made them realize that something was happening below. Everyone hastily leaving the office, they looked down to the main floor of the guild to see some people yelling, demanding Lucy and Gray to fix their mistakes.

"They tried to do the unthinkable and look at the results! Natsu is now on the line and we have no idea where E.N.D is! They need to get punished by Master Makarov!" a guild member yelled out in fury where agreements followed in cries. "Why should we allow them anywhere closer to Natsu after everything they've done?!" another cried out.

Makarov sighing, he stood on the railings of the second storey and looked at the pitiful state his family is in. With a loud voice, he told them all to shut up. "Quit your complaining! You all wouldn't know what to do and would've just stood there like sitting ducks waiting for the bomb to explode in front of you. Gray, Lucy and Happy were brave to tackle on the challenges in front of you," he boomed where a guild member dared to speak back.

"We were fighting against the soldiers. We weren't useless. Unlike us, they were playing with fire and obviously the fire was too much for them - They're weak!"

And that's when the insults came flying towards the two with Happy sitting in the corner of the guild room with tears in his eyes. The poor Exceed in tears, he was held tightly by Wendy who tried her very best to console him, only to fail as he continued to cry harder as Natsu broke a glass cup within his hand. Natsu unable to speak while he listened to the yells around him, he didn't know what to say for the first time which was frustrating.

"They can't do a thing! What's the point of even promoting them for the guild?! They can't do anything for the guild and all they know is how to cause trouble! It's useless to have them here when they're just going to cause trouble for us?!"

Lucy having tears in her eyes, she leaned over the railings with gritted teeth which caught the attention of the crimson-haired mage watching nearby. "We're the ones causing trouble?! You make it sound like we're the troublemakers here when we've been our best for the guild!" she cried out, taking in a large inhale of air. "You call this guild a family when you're shunning your family members?!"

"When you have people always crying for help and unable to do much for the guild, of course you'll be fed up of having to deal with their problems and issues! All you do is whine, complain and show off your looks while leaving the attacking to your spirits!" a member yelled where Loke narrowed his eyes and looked over the railings in anger.

"I dare you to say that again! Our Lucy isn't the type to hide behind our backs, and you know just how much magic it takes to support us! You wouldn't be able to hold our gates open, not to mention having two gates opened at once while fighting alongside us!" Loke spat, narrowing his eyes to one certain member before growling out loud.

Lucy's tears now flowing and unstoppable, she retreated with her hands covering her face in shame. They were right, maybe she was a splinter to the guild and that's why they're rioting and not supporting her.

Perhaps she was -

"She's weak and you know it! Not to mention how Gray couldn't do anything and just ran with her!"

Indeed, that was the bullet that inflicted the most damage to her fragile heart. Dropping onto her knees where Gray leaned against the bookshelf in disbelief, Makarov sighed at his disappointment to his children. The old man looking over to the crimson, he just simply gave her a nod where she gave one back as she glided to the railings and gave a long and threatening growl which held enough power to have everyone submit in silence.

"Pathetic humans," she scowled before looking down to the crying Lucy. Narrowing her eyes where she looked at the guild below her, she gave them a look of challenge, asking who was brave enough to challenge her power through her glowing eyes. "They're pathetic, but something isn't right with the air..." she muttered before Lucy got up and ran down the stairs to only leave the guild with Gray running after her.


End file.
